Monday, August 1, 2016

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would do a book review on a
book called “All the Time in the World” by Caroline
Angell

I have never done a book review before but the book looked
interesting so I said yes.
It took me a little less than a week to read the book but partially because I
have been spending a lot of time with my mom who just moved into a skilled care
facility so I don’t have a lot of time to read.

Sometimes when I am reading a book, if it doesn’t grab me from the beginning, I
have a hard time making a commitment. I didn’t have a problem with that. It
didn’t take me long to really connect with the main character Charlotte who was
caring for two little boys named Matthew and George. It was obvious from the
start that this writer truly understood the dynamics of a nanny’s role in the
family. Only someone with this kind of insight could narrate the scene where
the children are picked up and dropped off at pre-school and describe the
scenario of the interaction between the stay at home mommies, the cardboard
cut-out moms, the moms who treat the caregivers with little respect and the mix
of nannies and au pairs. It’s a scene that plays out on a daily basis in pre-schools
everywhere.
I know that Charlotte was a nanny who I could have been friends with. We could
have been on a Facebook group for nannies together and we would have made a
connection because she really understood the ins and outs of working with a
family. She projected a professional image and understood her role within the
family. She understood that working with a family requires a lot of give and
take and that sometimes you have to do things that were not in your job
description just because circumstances warrant it.
The reason this is so important is that this book is all about the relationship
a nanny has with her employers, the interaction with the mom and the bond that
can develop between a mom and a nanny and how a nanny’s role can change within
the family with time and circumstances.
When I started reading this book, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that I
knew how it was going to end but I was wrong and this book did not disappoint.
This is a book that will definitely appeal to nannies but I think it can appeal
to a wider audience because it is a great storyline and Charlotte is a
character that you will identify with and root for all the way to the end.
As I tried to write this review, I struggled a little with remembering that
this is a not a nanny training manual that teaches the dos and don’ts of being
a good nanny, it is a story that will touch the heart of any nanny or parent
with a nanny.
I can always tell that I have read a great book when days after the last page
has been read, my mind wanders back to the story and I find myself thinking…

” I wonder what Charlotte is doing now?”

There is really only one negative thing I have to say about this book, and I
say it mostly because anyone who knows me, would know that I wouldn’t let it go
without saying something.
Charlotte is truly a nanny in every sense of the word. She is educated,
experienced, smart, and understands the dynamics of doing her job and doing it
well. All through the book she refers to herself as a babysitter. I don’t think
that calling herself a nanny would have made any kind of difference in the
storyline but I think the things she did were over and above the call of duty
for “just a babysitter”

This is a really good book. I am certain you will like it, and identify with so
many things in it and I hope you will read it! I can’t really get into the
nitty gritty of why I connected so much with this book without giving away the
storyline but once you read it I think you will understand that this book
covers a wide range of issues and emotions unique to those of us who love and
care for other people’s children. I hope other people who read it will have new
insight into the important work we all do….no matter what we consider our job
title to be.
Glenda

I will be giving away a copy of the book on my Facebook page but if you are not
on Facebook, you can email me at nannytransitions(at)gmail(dot)com and I will
gladly put your name into the drawing for the book.

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